2018 SUBARU FORESTER Complaints

The passenger-side front airbag Occupancy Detection System harness failed on my vehicle. The dealer charged me for a replacement, even though this part was recalled. They said they could not perform the repair free of charge because the recall was not listed for my VIN. I attempted to contact Subaru 12 days ago to request reimbursement, but I did not receive a response. I do not have the old part available, but I do have a photograph of the supplier code and date code on the harness. The codes are within the affected range, as indicated in recall bulletin WUM-98R (NHTSA ID 19V-701) Evidently, Subaru has failed to identify all of the vehicles affected by this defect. Passenger safety was put at risk because the airbag system would disable itself whenever somebody sat in the front passenger seat. Because the problem was intermittent, and because Subaru failed to notify me of the defect, this led to a delay in getting it repaired. The dealer diagnosed the issue and determined that the harness needed to be replaced. Whenever the failure occurred, the airbag trouble light turned on and the message "passenger air bag off" was displayed, even if there was a passenger in that seat.

I bought the car certified used from a Grand Prix Subaru in Hicksville, NY. They did not mention this issue. I’ve had the car for 2 years, drive it 1-2x a week, have it serviced regularly, etc. all of a sudden in the past week it’s needed a jump 2x, maybe a few days apart. My lights are on auto, always, & shut off when the car turns off after a few seconds. My interior lights are all set to off, after the first jump. Doors & cargo door are all closed well. Battery has been tested & they say it’s not bad & doesn’t need replacing. So what is draining the battery then? When the battery is dead, it’s completely dead. No turnover at all & the cargo door won’t open until it’s running & charged enough again. I’m shocked the cargo door can’t open without the battery!

The malfunction identified in NHTSA campaign number 19V701 has been continually malfunctioning again, beginning about a year ago. This is happening within a relatively short time after it was supposedly fixed. (Subaru's number for this recall is WUM-98). It is the exact same problem as previously identified in 19V701.

My 2018 Subaru Forester has a faulty passenger air bag sensor, which has been diagnosed by my local Subaru dealer, with a repair cost of $1,500+ for labor and parts. It has intermittently turned on and off again, but after getting a separate issue fixed by my dealer, they diagnosed this problem, and every time the car is turned on, the warning light is constantly displayed, and the passenger seat airbag light shows "OFF" even when someone is in the passenger seat. Upon research, this is a known and common issue with other Subaru Foresters with heated seats in the same model year (my Forester does have heated seats), but my VIN is not included in the Subaru recall for this specific repair. This greatly puts the passenger in my car at risk, as the sensor does not recognize that a person is in the seat while they are riding, and if we were to be in an accident, their airbag would not deploy. I am frustrated that this is a known, common safety issue that affects my model and year of car, but my VIN is not included on the recall list. I would expect that my car should also be included in the recall and fixed by the dealer at their expense as it is clearly documented many times on other 2018 Subaru Foresters.

LCA lower control arm front bushing on Right and Left front for 2018 Subaru Forester is a known issue with EVERY Forester. Mine had only 55K miles when the Right Front started shaking and now the left is doing so and I am only at 60K miles!!

Starting up the car in the morning after a long day stuck in traffic (over 100 degree F weather), moved about 5 feet then the eyesight system stopped working, rear braking stopped, and power steering gave out - the car started and the engine ran normally. The car was abandoned as unsafe until diagnostics could be performed and a different car was used to get around . That evening the car started up fine, also the next morning to reproduce conditions. Tested the battery, which showed "good" (93% charge/40%healthy). I suspect that, in the morning the A/C, headlights, radio, backup lights, etc... put a large draw on the electrical system resulting in a system wide shutdown of adaptive features - However loss of power steering is insane and can easily result in death if it happens while driving especially while making a turn if the driver is not prepared/strong enough to force it. The linking of non-critical system to help the driver to an essential system is just asking for trouble.

The passenger seat, passenger air bags, and occupant detection system are failing. YES! Available for inspection. Passenger occupants are put at risk riding in my passenger seat as the seat does not detect if the seatbelt is on, or even if someone is sitting in the seat. The AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY WHEN INTENDED! Issue was first brought to [XXX] at Subaru in Pasco WA, where they “could not do anything because it was not YET a recall.” As of [XXX], it has been confirmed by an ISC (Subaru of Hermiston, OR) My vehicle has been there since!!! They have not been able to fix the issue or get the part. There is no date of when the part is expected to available. We have been working with Subaru Customer Advocates who have extended my loaner car out 30 days, but after that. I will be OUT OF A SAFE vehicle. I have three children and NEED my passenger seat to be working effectively and SAFELY! Yes, there were warning lights that came on. The lights were on the dash. The red square with an “i” next to odometer and a red passenger air bag symbol below the other light that popped up. I have pictures and videos dated between June 2023 to March 2024 of the lights coming on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2018 Subaru Forester has another cracked windshield. I do not drive this car a lot and all of a sudden there is a crack. It happened in 2021 too, it is exactly in the same spot this time. Subaru refused to fix it the last time, so I am not expecting them to fix it this time. This is not safe to drive when there is a crack like that. It is a matter of time before someone gets hurt or even worse because of the faulty windshield.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side air bag warning light was intermittently flashing on the instrument panel with or without an occupant seated in the front passenger’s seat. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; the diagnostic test discovered that the occupant detection system mat was defective and needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V701000 (Air Bags) which was linked to the failure; however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

I receive a warning light and the passenger air bag does not turn on when I have a passenger in the front seat.